Remembering Teddi Laurin, a Photonics Industry Champion

JUSTINE MURPHY, EDITOR, justine.murphy@photonics.com

As I began to write this editorial, I was reflecting on 2015 and the technological advancement and innovation we’ve seen industrywide. However, my thoughts quickly turned to our founder, Teddi Laurin, to whom we said goodbye on Nov. 5.

She is widely credited with ushering the term “photonics” into popular and global use during her expansive career that began in the early 1960s, when she collaborated with Eastman Kodak optical scientist Dr. Clifton M. Tuttle to produce an annual optical industry directory; now called the Photonics Buyers’ Guide, the directory remains one of the most commonly used industry resources more than 60 years later. In 1967, Teddi identified “a need to put under one tent the ever-widening range of subdisciplines that optics had spawned,” which led her to establish Optical Spectra (now Photonics Spectra). It quickly emerged as the industry’s leading trade magazine and remains so today.

Teddi made a name for herself in science and journalism during a time when fewer women were in leadership positions in publishing and photonics. For these reasons and more, we feel a strong drive to continue her mission to serve this industry.

In just a few short weeks, we will also bid farewell to the International Year of Light (IYL) 2015. The yearlong celebration of light has undoubtedly had an impact on the photonics industry, and the world, that will glow well into the future.

In this issue, we revisit some of the top stories of 2015 — from IYL activities and celebrations the world over, to innovative research and business news impacting the industry. They appeared first on Photonics.com, and many are featured later in the pages of Photonics Spectra. Take a trip down the photonics memory lane beginning on page 51.

Also in this issue:

• Contributing editor Hank Hogan discusses fiber sensors and the ways they are providing a multiplexed and more comprehensive view of traditionally inaccessible places. Page 40.

• Dr. Jens Bublitz, of Kienzle-Prozessanalytik GmbH, delves into time-integrated, laser-induced florescence spectroscopy. Page 44.

• Alluxa Inc.’s Rance Fortenberry, Ph.D., Mike Scobey, Peter Egerton and Amber Czajkowski explain how thin-film optical filters are elevating phase control requirements and applications. Page 47.

Thank you to our contributors and loyal readers for letting us be your news and technical information resource, and for allowing us to bring you the most comprehensive and practical information from throughout the industry.

If you haven’t already, make sure to renew your subscriptions now for Photonics Spectra, and all of Photonics Media’s other publications, at Photonics.com/subscribe.

We wish you a happy and prosperous 2016!